By Judi McLeod
Monday, November 20, 2006
While Madam Nancy Pelosi polishes her spin, the too many skeletons in her closet threaten to come crashing out the door.
Conflicts of interest mark the ambitious career of the House Speaker designate and her past will someday catch up with her, perhaps at a time most inconvenient for her Democrat colleagues.
Breathtaking in sheer boldness, the conflicts are the stuff of movies, the kind with a storyline in which the heroine lectures her defeated opponents about their Culture of Corruption, only to find herself at the center of her own Culture of Corruption.
Pelosi could give Paul Volcker a run for his money in the conflict of interest department when he was investigating the United Nations Oil-for-Food scandal.
The plot of any movie about the climb to power of Nancy Pelosi would showcase how powerful, greedy politicians push aside low-income families in projects that instead feather their own nests.
a sort of Robin Hood Rip-off in reverse.
The ostensible intent of the Federal Government's 1988 Base Realignment and Closures act (BRaC) was to look after the little people first. all closed military bases would be privately developed for the benefit of neighboring support communities. at the end of the day, no one would be displaced or adversely impacted by the closings.
Like many government schemes, it sounded good in theory, but the fairytale turned nightmare almost overnight.
First came the Presidio and Pelosi's role as an investor in a real estate investment entity called Presidio Partners.
"The Presidio Trust, a group of well-connected citizens, was charged with stewardship of the new national park. The Trust made a big show of gathering public input, which it then ignored in favor of building the absurdly gargantuan Letterman Digital arts Center.” (www.fogcityjournal.com).
The $100-million Digital arts Center celebrated its official opening on June 26, 2005 with a smiling Pelosi, Senator Barbara Boxer and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in attendance.
Then came Pelosi's role in the 500-acre Hunters Point Shipyard.
"The Hunters Point Shipyard redevelopment measures have been called the most corrupt legislative initiatives to pass successfully through San Francisco.” (www.seanhannity.com).
In order to speed up the process to have the lagging US Navy turn the property over to San Francisco, Pelosi used John Murtha, the powerful ranking Democrat on the House military appropriations subcommittee, who did her bidding to press to have the Navy sign a binding agreement for the deal on a specific date.
according to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom met on March 31 in the Capitol offices of Pelosi. Pelosi is the aunt of Laurence Pelosi, Newsom's cousin and campaign treasurer.
also in attendance were Navy assistant Secretary Johnson, Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, along with the influential Murtha.
Laurence Pelosi is Senior Vice President of Lunar/BVHP, which has commercial development rights for the redevelopment of Hunters Point Shipyards.
Most folk know that Nancy is the wife of a multimillionaire.
Members of Gavin Newsom's wine, restaurant, bar, resort and real estate partnerships since 1991 include Isolep Enterprises, Paul and Nancy Pelosi family personal investment company. (www.indybay.org).
Nancy's son Paul Pelosi Jr. was appointed to the Commission on the Environment by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown in 2003, and now serves as Vice President.
San Francisco attorney Michael Yaki, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is a past director in Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office.
"Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's conflicts of interest in the Shipyard development have been reported to the U.S. attorney's office, the FBI and the Federal Elections Commission,” says member "In the Know". "Pelosi is currently in the center of an open investigation by the FEC stemming from her documented use of charitable funds she received from the Tides Foundation and Center, a 501 (3) non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco and controlled by Teresa Heinz Kerry.” (www.hannity.com)
Interesting to note that the Tides Foundation and Center calls the Presidio home.
The December 2003 Pittsburgh Tribune reports details of the relationship between the Tides Center and Pelosi, who received a $5,000 donation contribution from the center and deposited it into an account for a political action committee she formed in 2002 called Team Majority to fund candidates running for office. Pelosi was fined $21,000 by the FEC for accepting donations over federal limits and paid the fine in October of 2003.
according to the Pittsburgh Tribune, the FEC declined to comment on the matter but confirmed the case remains open. Violations concerning charitable foundations can also be reported to the California Franchise Tax Board .
Meanwhile, the sound of scratching on the door is coming from the skeletons in Nancy Pelosi's closet.
How is it even possible that the hungry-for-power Democrats allowed Nancy Pelosi to crash through the gates as House Speaker?
The Dems want a president in the White House in 2008.
Pelosi, who is damaged goods, is bound to ruin their chances.
While Pelosi polishes her spin.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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